On top of a directorial career that's going from strength to strength, Nicolas Winding Refn has been getting into the producing game of late backing the remake of his original pic "Pusher" and an Icelandic crime-drama titled "Black's Game" -- both of which will be unveiled this year. The Dane has now set up a teaming with horror-specialist duo William Lustig and Larry Cohen, and will be producing a prequel to their 1988 high-concept horror-actioner, "Maniac Cop."

The original centered on the idea of a brutal murderer on the streets of New York City dressed in a police uniform, with a young cop, his girlfriend and the detective in charge setting out to solve the mystery. Despite poor critical reception, two sequels were also born including a 1990 follow-on and a 2008 reboot.

While Lustig was careful to note that deals were not "100% signed off on but pretty close," he added that the project was "going to be more a prequel than anything else, I am really excited to come back to this world especially since Nic is going to be a part of it. Nic has been talking to us about it for a while now and I had an idea that would work so we’re going to do it.” Writer-producer Cohen also added that the latest chapter will maintain the noir-ish comic book feel of the first three but will have "a bigger budget than the others have had."

Nicolas Winding Refn May Direct The ‘Button Man: The Killing Game’ For DreamWorksvia The Playlist

Nicolas Winding Refn, the arty genre director of "Drive," "Bronson" and "Valhalla Rising," is apparently planning a few chess moves ahead. And again, he's dabbling with Hollywood and major studios. The Danish filmmaker, already adapting a remake of "Logan's Run" for Warner Bros. is in talks to direct an adaptation of the graphic novel, "Button Man: The Killing Game" for DreamWorks.

Written by Arthur Ranson and John Wagner (who created the Judge Dredd graphic novel character), "Button Man: The Killing Game" centers on a former mercenary named Harry Exton, who is recruited into a game in which retired soldiers are sponsored by wealthy investors -- called "Voices," because they’re only heard on the telephone -- to face off against each other in fights to the death.

“Moneyball” producer Michael De Luca is one of the men shepherding this project. In development since at least 2008, scribes like Hillary Seitz (“Insomnia,” “Eagle Eye”) and Barry Levy (“Vantage Point”) have both written on this thriller.

Gaumont International TV To Do ‘Barbarella’ Series With Martha De Laurentiis, Nick RefnSource: Deadline

After bringing Hannibal to the small screen with an upcoming NBC series, Gaumont International Television and producer Martha De Laurentiis are looking to do the same for another iconic character, Barbarella. GIT, the U.S.-based production and distribution arm of European feature studio Gaumont, is teaming with De Laurentiis and Drive director Nicolas Refn for a TV series that will be based on the character created by Jean-Claude Forest in a graphic novel and made famous in the 1968 sci-fi movie staring Jane Fonda as a sexpot tasked with finding and stopping the evil weapons inventor. Refn will direct and executive produce the series alongside De Laurentiis, whose late husband Dino produced the 1968 movie. Co-executive producers are Jean-Claude Forest’s son Julien Forest and Hollywood Comics principal Jean-Marc Lofficier.

Refn called Barbarella “one of the ultimate counter-cultural characters.” Added GIT CEO Katie O’Connell, “We are thrilled to have secured the rights from the Forest estate and are thrilled to be pairing the bold visceral style of Nicolas Refn with the pop culture icon Barbarella.” In addition to Bryan Fuller’s Hannibal starring Hugh Dancy and Mads Mikkelsen, GIT also is producing the upcoming Eli Roth series Hemlock Grove starring Famke Janssen and Bill Skarsgard for Netflix. Gaumont is producing two of Refn’s next feature films, including Only God Forgives starring Ryan Gosling. He is with WME, Annonymous and Independent Talent Group. Dino and Martha De Laurentiis originally acquired film rights to Barbarella in 2007. Dino was working on a feature Barbarella remake before his 2010 death; the project attracted a slew of directors and young actress but ultimately didn’t take flight.

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“Don't think about making art, just get it done. Let everyone else decide if it's good or bad, whether they love it or hate it. While they are deciding, make even more art.” - Andy Warhol

Blake Lively To Be Directed By Nicolas Winding Refn In A Gucci Short Film

Blake Lively will star in a new Gucci short film directed by Drive helmer Nicolas Winding Refn. The project will be for the upcoming Gucci fragrance titled Gucci Premiere, which Lively will be the face of. Unfortunately, there are not a lot of details about the short other than it has already been shot and it is said to be somewhat similar to The Lady Dior short film series that Marion Cotillard has been a part of over the last couple of years. The short film will be presented at a special event at the Venice Film Festival on September 1st.

Is the magic already gone between Ryan Gosling and Nicolas Winding Refn? Will "Drive" and "Only God Forgives" be the only record of their bromance that captivated the cinematic world? This much is certain: Gosling will no longer be starring in the long-developing "Logan's Run" remake.

The news comes from a tweet by Variety's Justin Kroll, without any other context, so allow us to speculate. We'd wager that this is being viewed as a big tentpole picture for Warner Bros., and to be fair, for all his popularity, Gosling still isn't quite at the level to open a movie to big numbers. He has mostly been a player in indie movies or prestige projects, and his dalliances with mainstream fare for WB ("Crazy Stupid Love," "Gangster Squad") are essentially ensemble pictures that surround him with bigger names. Simply put, he hasn't led a $100 million movie on his own, and as studios are ever more wary, they might want a more bankable, internationally friendly name. That's one theory.

The other might be that with Gosling gearing up his directorial debut "How To Catch A Monster" next spring, it essentially puts him out of the game for about a year, and WB might be wanting to move a bit faster on the project. Whatever the reason, a Gosling/Refn sci-fi picture isn't happening. And we should stress, the two still appear to be on good terms, so it's not like they had a falling out. "I will give him advice if he wants me to. I told him if he wakes up in sweats at 5am on the morning of shooting to call me,” Refn recently told the Evening Standard, talking about Gosling's first time behind the camera.

As for "Only God Forgives," it looks like it won't be at the Rome Film Festival as one of the surprise pictures as some have speculated. Refn tells French outlet JDD (via The Film Stage) that he will be "fine-tuning" the picture through December. And while an early release date of April 4th for Denmark has been reported, those international bows tend to be malleable, and we wouldn't be surprised if that shifts as Refn and the Weinsteins (who are releasing the picture through their Radius shingle) figure out the best way to position it. A return to Cannes? Berlin maybe? Hopefully, we'll know soon.

“The myth by no means finds its adequate objectification in the spoken word. The structure of the scenes and the visible imagery reveal a deeper wisdom than the poet himself is able to put into words and concepts” – Friedrich Nietzsche

We can't quite say we saw this coming. As Nicolas Winding Refn puts the finishing touches to his "Drive" follow-up, "Only God Forgives," many had assumed that he would move on to his "Logan's Run" remake with BFF Ryan Gosling. But the actor recently departed the project, and one perhaps suspects that Refn's lost his taste for the film as a result, as word's been very quiet on it late. But it looks like the director's next film will be a studio movie after all, rather than "I Walk With The Dead" with Carey Mulligan. But it won't be "The Button Man," a thriller set up at DreamWorks, and it won't be "Logan's Run."

Instead, Refn's teaming up with a major A-lister, taking the helm on Sony's remake of 1980s TV series "The Equalizer," which will star Denzel Washington. Back in the summer, he was one of a number of directors mentioned in connection with the project, along with Pierre Morel, Gavin O'Connor and Gareth Evans, and Refn beat them all, along with F. Gary Gray, to the gig.

The series, which starred Edward Woodward, focused on a man who works as freelance "fixer" in order to make up for his dark past, and the film started out as a possible team up for Paul Haggis and Russell Crowe, before moving on to a script written by "The Expendables 2" writer by Richard Wenk (ruh-roh...). It's been a priority at the studio for a while, having been set for a 2014 release for a while now.

Oh, and "Only God Forgives" seemingly now has a May 23rd release date, so we could well be looking at a Cannes premiere for the film. "The Equalizer" hits theaters on April 11, 2014

Collider reports that Sony wasn't able to close the deal with Refn to have him direct "The Equalizer" starring Denzel Washington. Based on the 1980s TV series which starred Edward Woodward, the story focuses on a man who works as a freelance "fixer," as he tries to atone for his dark and mysterious past when he worked for an outfit known as The Company. The project has been brewing for a while now, with Paul Haggis and Russell Crowe once set as director and star.

When we caught up with Nicolas Winding Refn at the Cannes Film Festival last week, he remained coy on his future projects. This sexual thriller "I Walk With The Dead" with Carey Mulligan is "looking very good," he's "supposed to read a script" for "Button Man," he's still developing a comedy with Ryan Gosling and working on the TV series "Barbarella." But it seems that's not all Refn is brewing behind-the-scenes, as he's also tackling a project conceived by his pal Alejandro Jodorowsky.

France Inter also talked with Refn on the Croisette, and while they don't provide a direct quote, they do report that he's working on an adaptation of Jodorowsky and Moebius' comic series "The Incal." The original six book series launched in 1981 and is set in a dystopian future, detailing the battle over the powerful Incal crystal. The comic series is notable in that it followed the collapse of Jodorowsky's "Dune," and utilizes some of the similar designs that Moebius had created while working on the movie. (The forthcoming documentary "Jodorowsky's Dune" goes into more detail about that, and you can read our report on that flick right here).

It would certainly make sense for Refn to be taking this on; he's close with Jodorowsky and even dedicated "Only God Forgives" to him. However, further details on "The Incal" are scarce, and it's not clear if this is set up at a production company or studio, or if Refn is just working on it by himself at the moment. But it's not the first time an adaptation has been attempted, as animator Pascal Blais tried in the 1980s before the endeavor was abandoned. In 2011, he tried again but it's not clear how far he got with it. You can see results of both those efforts below (via Films Actu).

So will "The Incal" let Refn scratch the sci-fi itch that is currently not being fulfilled by the stalled "Logan's Run," which his bro Ryan Gosling exited last fall? We'll see, but it's promising stuff.

Nicolas Winding Refn Says He's Making A 'Valhalla Rising' Sequel Set In Tokyovia The Playlist

When we last sat down to talk to Nicolas Winding Refn, he spoke about a project he was developing that would be set in Tokyo. He mentioned a fondness for the Yakuza, suggesting that this film would find him re-visiting a crime underworld similar to that in “Only God Forgives” and “Drive.” But no one could have guessed it would be… a sequel to “Valhalla Rising”?We spoke to Refn on the eve of the North American premiere for “Only God Forgives” and he revealed that project was a re-teaming with “Valhalla Rising” star Mads Mikkelsen, saying they had, “talked about revisiting the [One-Eye] character from ‘Valhalla Rising’ again to kind of complete… because there’s a similarity between ‘Valhalla Rising,’ ‘Drive’ and ‘Only God Forgives.’ But in a way I had this idea of Mads Mikklesen to go back to the origins of this character. But make the movie in Tokyo.”

When asked how this could be a sequel, Refn cryptically said, “Tokyo is a world onto itself.” This didn’t seem to clear up exactly how One Eye could emerge from the early Viking era to modern day Tokyo, so when pressed, Refn teased that the film was, “About the future…”

While Refn begins work on the “Barbarella” television series, it’s possible this could be his next film after "I Walk With The Dead," as he’s long spoken about his affinity for Tokyo. Whatever the case, it would be impossible for us to not get excited at the thought of “Valhalla Rising 2: Tokyo Drift.”

Few filmmakers have quite the crowded dance card that Nicolas Winding Refn boasts. Speaking to The Playlist on the eve of the North American premiere for “Only God Forgives,” Refn seems deeply pleased by having attached himself to so many projects, each one sounding more exciting than the last (particularly the mooted “Valhalla Rising” continuation). However, Refn’s next project is a detour into television, with the series “Barbarella,” which he describes, in typical Refn fashion, as “the ultimate fetish.”“Sci-fi television is still a very undiscovered medium,” he says of production company Gaumont’s offer to spearhead the show. “’Barbarella’ is what ‘Barbarella’ wants to be for every given generation. By just making a movie, it would take out the possibilities.”

Surprisingly, Refn’s passion for the series came from a more familiar place: apparently the rumors of Refn’s involvement in a “Wonder Woman” movie were one-sided. “I certainly still am dreaming of doing 'Wonder Woman,' and also because my special favorite Wonder Woman is Christina Hendricks,” he says. “But it seemed like an impossible dream, and that’s why I switched my attention to ‘Barbarella.' Because ‘Barbarella’ came at a time when I was very vocal about wanting to do ‘Wonder Woman,’ and not getting very far with it.” When the offer came to get behind “Barbarella,” Refn recalls thinking, “Damn, that’s even better. But also I have daughters, and I want to make a movie that shows that women are more powerful than men.”

As for his involvement in the show, expect it to be active. “I would probably like to [direct] all of them,” he plans. “But realistically with a schedule for these types of shows, it might be difficult. I would definitely do the beginning and the end.” Refn is certainly thinking ahead in what looks like a fairly ambitious slate. As he’s said before, he’s still looking to do the Carey Mulligan thriller “I Walk With The Dead” as his next feature. “’Only God Forgives’ is part of a two-picture deal, so contractually that has to be my next picture,” he explains. His post-“Barbarella” efforts involve two more films (one of which would be “I Walk With The Dead”) before Refn promises, “And then I would like to make one giant science fiction film.”

Enter “The Incal,” which recently surfaced as a project Refn was working on. The famous graphic novel from Alejandro Jodorowsky (to whom Refn has dedicated “Only God Forgives”) is an epic, universe-spanning science fiction story very much derived from the unused concepts Jodorowsky and company planned for the infamous unmade version of “Dune.” Though Refn has flirted with a number of big budget studio genre pictures, it appears that “The Incal” is the one that has taken precedence. Describing it as “the ultimate graphic novel,” Refn explains, “It all came down to ‘Logan’s Run.’ When I pulled out of ‘Logan’s Run,’ it was the decision that if I was gonna make one of these mega-blockbusters, I would control the material.”

Refn explains how the hyper-expressive Jodorowsky is the one that gave Refn the courage to avoid the big blockbuster sinkhole. “I called Jodorowsky in Paris and he says to me, ‘What is this shit in Hollywood, why?’” Refn says, launching into an impassioned Jodo impersonation. “And I thought I was being yelled at! ‘You must not let your vision be destroyed!’ And I was like, I know, I know, I was wrong. ‘You have to stay true, or else I’ll not like you anymore!’ He’s like ninety, but he has the mind of a comet. So I said, I would like to do ‘The Incal,’ and he was like, ‘That… you will HAVE!’” Originally it seemed like Refn’s hopes for “The Incal” were merely a pipe dream, though he hints, “Actually it may happen faster than I anticipated.”

Refn is also active as a producer, lending his guidance to a project he was originally going to direct, “The Dying Of The Light.” Written by Paul Schrader, who is now going to direct the film himself, the project apparently came apart for Refn when Harrison Ford wanted to change the script, but Refn is back in the mix saying, “I’m a huge fan of Paul Schrader. I have made myself completely available to whatever Paul needs.” Refn is also still producing a remake of “Maniac Cop” with the original film’s director Bill Lustig, suggesting that the delay on this project had to do with a rights issue. Refn says, “Right now, we’re just going through writers and getting the script ready, and we hope to go make it in the future. [Lustig]’s a very underrated director. His films are very influential still, and it’s a great privilege to be able to work with him. We’re taking it one step and a time, but very soon we will find a director and they will make it his or her movie.”

With this schedule comes the possibility of some films falling by the wayside, some for practical reasons, others creative. It seemed like the latter when Refn left action-thriller “The Equalizer,” cryptically referring to a subpar product. But Refn still holds a torch for the film’s star. “I would love to make anything with Denzel Washington,” he raves. “To me he can read the phone book and make it interesting, he has an incredible gift. But things happen for different reasons. And sometimes you realize that God has plans, and you may not know what the outcome’s gonna be.” When pressed for details, Refn could only offer, “It was not the right combination at the right time. The tradeoff was… not good enough.”

Meanwhile, it seems pretty clear that graphic novel adaptation “Button Man” would be the odd picture out in this lineup. “It’s hard for me to really talk about that right now, because it’s at a stage where they’re writing the script,” he says, noncommittally. “Right now in the scheme of things, I don’t know when I’m gonna have time to commit to it. So it’s a project to me that I think is terrific, I have a tremendous amount of respect for the producers, but it’s hard for me to put it in any kind of calendar.” But he cautions that it could all change tomorrow, winking as he notes, “Remember, the greatest part of a mystery is not knowing the answer.”

Now before Reelist posts a picture of Refn and 'You snooze, you lose', I always thought the Incal would make for an incredibly ambitious and interesting film. Though there would need to be a lot of tweaking for it to be palatable for a wider audience.